1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to hip and knee orthosis devices. More particularly, it relates to a hip and knee abductor having an inflatable air bladder.
2. Description of Prior Art
Hip and knee orthosis devices are known in the prior art. Traditionally, they were used to stabilize the hip and knees of a patient who had experienced trauma to the lower portion of the body. Many of the prior art devices incorporated a pair of curved, rigid members for positioning juxtaposed to the inner thigh portion of the patient. A soft and pliable material is inserted over the rigid members for contact with the person's skin. A static center element is mounted between the rigid members retaining the patient's hip and knees in a stabilized position for treating hip and knee contractures and post operative lower extremity adduction.
In an effort to permit range of motion in a patient experiencing knee contractures and post operative lower extremity adduction, improvements in the above described device were developed. Such improvements enabled the orthosis to be adjusted permitting hip and knee abduction and range of motion to the affected joints. One example of such an improvement provided a center bar having a plurality of holes for receiving a spring loaded pin. The pin can be positioned in any one of the holes for providing different levels of abduction. Although the device has proven to be effective in providing different levels of abduction, the repositioning of the pin has proven to be awkward. In addition, the prior art devices can be difficult to insert between the contracted knees of a patient experiencing extreme contractures, such that a very small space remains between the two opposed inner lateral portions of a patient's contracted knees. Yet further, such prior art devices rely on predetermined positioning. A prior art device as described above does not allow for very small incremental changes to the positioning. Accordingly, a first position could be too small of an amount of abduction while a second adjacent position could be too much of an amount of abduction.
An improved hip and knee orthosis is needed, permitting knee and hip abduction and range of motion to the affected joints which does not utilized a center bar positioning portion and permits very minute incremental abduction changes.